Partner connections

Brand Tasmania is at its most effective when Partners work collaboratively with us to champion the State’s place-of-origin brand. The monthly publication Partner Connections serves to link Brand Tasmania with its Partners and Partners with each other. This newsletter introduces new Partners and emerging sectors, as well as profiling existing Partners who have achieved success. Where appropriate, we encourage Partners to consider other Tasmanian-based businesses when buying goods or services. View a listing of Partners by sector.

History has been created. The Brand Tasmania Bill was passed with strong tri-partisan support, so, Brand Tasmania is now a Statutory Authority. This is an Australian first, and the start of an exciting era, with Premier Will Hodgman saying: “The passage of the Brand Tasmania Bill 2018 through Parliament marks a major point for one of our most important and valuable assets, our brand. The Bill establishes the new statutory authority, Brand Tasmania, which, with more resources and capacity, will have a stronger ability to promote and protect our brand, and ensure Tasmania continues to stand out from the pack.” The Premier added that his Government is committed to expanding international markets to assist local businesses in exporting their world-class goods and services globally: “This is an exciting time for our State, and the Government is committed to promoting Tasmania to the world, to open up new markets, support local business, and create even more local jobs.” Brand Tasmania Executive Director, Robert Heazlewood, is thrilled that all three Tasmanian political parties enthusiastically supported the new statutory authority. He said across-the-board agreement shows that this is the right move to take Tasmania’s precious brand into the future: "It builds on the work of a small team who did an amazing job with limited resources, and the plan is to move forward developing new partnerships while strengthening existing relationships." It is also history in the making. Tasmania is the first Australian state or territory to have a statutory authority devoted to its brand, and only the second in the world.

The Tasmanian Export Awards have just celebrated their 25th anniversary, and a local company that makes only one product – a fishing lure that has reached cult status across the globe – has been there from the very start.

They may be small, but Wigston’s Lures is a big Tasmanian export success story: and they have the awards to prove it.

A new era for Brand Tasmania. Legislation introduced into State Parliament yesterday will transform the Brand Tasmania Council into a statutory authority. This gives it greater surety and resources – including funding and staffing – to further build on more than 20 years of vital work. Brand Tasmania Executive Director, Robert Heazlewood, explained: “By evolving into a statutory authority, it ensures that Brand Tasmania continues to go from strength to strength. Our Brand is one of our greatest assets, and this timely change means the benefits that derive from such a strong, and unique brand, will be further protected and enhanced as we go forward.” The transition to a statutory authority has been the result of extensive collaboration between the Brand Tasmania Council and the Department of Premier and Cabinet. As Mr Heazlewood elaborated: “We are delivering on the Premier’s promise to evolve Brand Tasmania into a sustainable position, which would allow greater cooperation between the private and public sector.” Brand Tasmania was set up more than 20 years ago as a place-of-origin marketing initiative by a group of local exporters. Since that time, it has played a leading role in growing Tasmania’s brand into one that is the envy of the world. Or, as Premier Will Hodgman said when he announced the transition last year: “Through a new statutory authority we will turn up the spotlight that’s already shining on our people, places and produce, which are the best in the world. This will give us a louder and clearer sales pitch that all Tasmanians can use.”

Latest partners

Listed below are businesses recently approved as Brand Tasmania Partners. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with each of these businesses.

Ars Imperatoria Consulting

Management Consulting

Ars Imperatoria (latin for "strategy") is a Tasmanian based management consulting agency. We work with clients across a variety of industries including FMCG, Construction and local government. We partner with specialist consultants in areas including marketing, public relations, financial management and human resources to provide a complete service offering to Tasmanian businesses of all sizes.

Overland Studio

Ethical, eco-clothing made in Hobart, hand-printed with plants and animals from Tasmania's wild places

Overland Studio Tasmania makes ethical, dynamic clothing that will take you from a work meeting to the monkey bars at school pickup and then out to dinner in one comfortable yet fancy outfit.

We make and hand print our pieces with motifs from Tasmania’s wild places here in our Hobart studio and with help from a local sewist, choose the most ethical and sustainable fabrics and processes. We are dedicated to minimising waste and choosing the most positive processes available to deliver luxe, beautiful clothing.

We passionately believe that every body is a good body, and design apparel that will help you find more movement in everyday life, without compromising on style or stopping to change outfits.

Overland Studio apparel is available at Salamanca Markets in Hobart monthly, and online.

Mind Hunt

Local business offering live and immersive outdoor team challenges. You and your friends will interact with the environment as you race against the clock to solve puzzles, complete challenges and decipher clues to complete your objective.

Mind Hunt is a creation of The Mastermind.

Under strict instruction, and for reasons of national security and personal safety, Mind Hunt is not permitted to disclose any information pertaining to the identity of The Mastermind.

Enter the world of The Mastermind to test your intellect, team work and decision making.

Southern Huskies Basketball

Tasmania's men's professional basketball team playing in the NZ NBL.

The Southern Huskies are Tasmania's Men's Fully Professional Basketball team playing in the New Zealand NBL, with second tier participation of the Hobart Huskies Men's and Women's Teams also in the new NBL1 competition on the mainland of Australia.

Each year the Huskies play 9 home games and 9 away games in New Zealand plus Finals, with all games live streamed via 6 different channels to an audience of over 150,000 online each week and with a live audience weekly of over 11,000 as well as 3 games free to air on Sky each week.

The Southern Huskies have a number of community programs, athlete development, high performance and charitable work and have a range of merchandise available for purchase online, inshore and on game night

Bruny Island House of Whisky

A spectacular representation of the Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky Industry, a true Whisky experience.

Bruny Island House of Whisky has the most extensive known range of purely Tasmanian Single Malts and home to ‘Trappers Hut’ 15 year old, Limited Single Cask Release.

For those who love whisky and may not have the time to visit all of Tasmania’s distilleries and independent bottlers, we represent all of these amazing award winning single malts in one place. Enjoy with knowledgeable staff who have passion for whisky!

Beauty and the Bees

Since 1993, Beauty and the Bees have been making 100% natural, high-quality, handmade skin and hair care products in Tasmania.

For over 25 years, Jill and the team at Beauty and the Bees have proudly maintained their eco-friendly ethos, making all their hair and skin care products from scratch, using locally-sourced natural ingredients, packaged in reusable, plastic-free materials.

Beauty and the Bees have proudly kept the skin and hair of eco-conscious people healthy, vibrant and youthful, naturally!

Beauty and the Bees use only premium quality Australian ingredients found among the healthy ingredients traditionally used in effective skin and hair care; ingredients like our island's unique raw, unpasteurised Leatherwood honey, certified organic olive oil, certified organic/biodynamic Tasmanian herbs, and high-quality clays.

To find out more about the Beauty and the Bees philosophy, visit their website: www.beebeauty.com.au.

Beauty and the Bees Tasmania produce 100% chemical-free, luxuriously rich Leatherwood honey products that really work, handmade - ethically - in a small business - by women just like you.

THE KOOL COMPANY

We use freshly sourced Kelp from the untouched Ocean of Tasmania - known to be one of the cleanest and pristine in the world. Granulated or powdered, it can be added to healthy drinks and stock base. Or try our T from the C, Australian Grown Green Tea combined with Kelp.

Our Organic Tasmanian Mint Tea iced for summer or hot for winter is a refreshing beverage.

For a Spa experience try our Bath Soak with Kelp, Epsom and Sea salts and four Essential Oils to leave your body feeling revived and rejuvenated.

Golden Heart Ghee

Golden Heart Ghee is based in the Huon Valley in Tasmania. We make ghee from pure organic grass-fed Australian butter. Our team lovingly craft ghee by hand, based on centuries old principles. We innovate by introducing natural flavours to produce exciting new taste sensations.

Wild Wooden Creations

We make cutting and serving boards, coasters and wooden spoons from one piece of premium Tasmanian timber.

We are makers at The Makers Workshop in Burnie and specialise in custom-made corporate gifts as well as special occasion items for weddings and other celebrations. Our wooden spoons are made from Celery Top, a resilient and stylish Tasmanian native conifer, that has no smell or taste. They come in right and left hand models.

The timbers we use are all sustainable and sourced ethically from registered sawmills as well as salvaged from trees removed during farm clearing operations.

We are presently developing another product range under the trading name Smoko to make use of residue created during the preparation of our products. Tasmanian timbers have unique qualities in relation to smoking of food and are more than a substitute for imported wood shavings, pellets and blocks.

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Facts about Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is the southernmost state of Australia, located at latitude 40° south and longitude 144° east and separated from the continent by Bass Strait. It is a group of 334 islands, with the main island being 315 km (180 miles) from west to east and 286 km (175 miles) north to south.

Tasmania

Tasmanians are resourceful and innovative people, committed to a continually expanding export sector. In 2012–13, international exports from the state totalled $3.04 billion. USA, China, Taiwan, India, Japan and other Asian countries account for the bulk of exports, with goods and services also exported to Europe and many other regions.

Geography

Tasmania is similar in size to the Republic of Ireland or Sri Lanka. The Tasmanian islands have a combined coastline of more than 3,000 km.

Geography

The main island has a land area of 62,409 sq km (24,096 sq miles) and the minor islands, taken together, total only 6 per cent of the main island’s land area. The biggest islands are Flinders (1,374 sq km/539 sq miles), King, Cape Barren, Bruny and Macquarie Islands.

Geography

About 250km (150 miles) separates Tasmania’s main island from continental Australia. The Kent Group of Islands, one of the most northerly parts of the state, is only 55km (34 miles) from the coast of the Australian continent.

Climate

Twice named ‘Best Temperate Island in the World’ by international travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler, Tasmania has a mild, temperate maritime climate, with four distinct seasons.

Climate

In summer (December to February) the average maximum temperature is 21° Celsius (70° Fahrenheit). In winter (June to August) the average maximum is 12° C (52° F) and the average minimum is 4° C (40° F). Snow often falls in the highlands, but is rarely experienced in more settled areas.

Annual Rainfall

Tasmania’s west coast is one of the wettest places in the world, but the eastern part of the State lives in a rain-shadow. Hobart, the second-driest capital city in Australia, receives about half as much rain as Sydney.

Annual Rainfall

Annual rainfall in the west is 2,400 mm (95 inches), but hardy locals insist there is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing. If you travel 120 km east to Hobart, you experience a much drier average of 626 mm (24 inches) a year.

Population

The 512,875-strong community spreads itself across the land; less urbanised than the population of any other Australian state. Hobart, the capital city, is home to more than 212,000 people.

Capital City

Hobart nestles at the foot of kunanyi / Mount Wellington (1,270 m / 4,000 ft) and overlooks the Derwent Estuary, where pods of dolphins and migrating whales are sometimes seen from nearby beaches. Surrounded by thickly forested rolling hills, the city is home to the state parliament and the main campus of the University of Tasmania.

Capital City

Its historic centre features Georgian and Regency buildings from colonial times. Hobart is home port for coastal fishing boats, Antarctic expeditions and vessels that fish the Southern Ocean.

Land Formation

Mountain ranges in the south-west date back 1,000 million years. Ancient sediments were deeply buried, folded and heated under enormous pressure to form schists and glistening white quartzites.

Land Formation

In the south-west and central highlands, dolerite caps many mountains, including Precipitous Bluff and Tasmania’s highest peak, Mt Ossa (1617 m / 5300 ft). More than 42 per cent of Tasmania is World Heritage Area, national park and marine or forest reserves.

Flora

Vegetation is diverse, from alpine heathlands and tall open eucalypt forests to areas of temperate rainforests and moorlands, known as buttongrass plains. Many plants are unique to Tasmania and the ancestors of some species grew on the ancient super-continent, Gondwana, before it broke up 50 million years ago.

Flora

Unique native conifers include slow-growing Huon pines, with one specimen on Mt Read estimated to be up to 10,000 years old. Lomatia tasmanica, commonly known as King’s holly, is a self-cloning shrub that may well be the oldest living organism on earth. It was discovered in 1937.

Fauna

Tasmania is the last refuge of several mammals that once roamed the Australian continent. It is the only place to see a Tasmanian devil or eastern quoll (native cat) in the wild and is the best place to see the spotted-tailed quoll (tiger cat), all carnivorous marsupials.

Fauna

The eastern bettong and the Tasmanian pademelon, both now extinct on the Australian continent, may also be observed.

Fauna

The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, was Australia’s largest surviving carnivorous marsupial and is a modern day mystery. The last documented thylacine died in captivity in 1936 and although the animal is considered extinct, unsubstantiated sightings persist.

History and Heritage

Aboriginal people have lived in Tasmania for about 35,000 years, since well before the last Ice Age. They were isolated from the Australian continent about 12,000 years ago, when the seas rose to flood low coastal plains and form Bass Strait.

History and Heritage

Descendants of the original people are part of modern Tasmania’s predominantly Anglo-Celtic population.

History and Heritage

Tasmania was originally named Van Dieman’s Land by the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman in 1642. The island was settled by the British as a penal colony in 1803 and the original name was associated with the convict era. It was changed to Tasmania when convict transportation stopped in 1853.

Economy

A resourceful island culture has generated leading-edge niche industries, from production of high-speed catamaran ferries and marine equipment to lightning-protection technology.

Economy

The Wooden Boat Centre at Shipwrights Point has re-established the skills and traditions of another age and attracts students from around the world.

Economy

Tasmania is a world leader in natural turf systems for major sporting arenas and in areas of mining technology and environmental management. Its aquaculture industry has developed ground-breaking fish-feeding technology and new packaging.

Economy

Tasmanians sell communications equipment to many navies and their world-class fine timber designers and craftsmen take orders internationally for furniture made from distinctive local timber.

Economy

The state is a natural larder with clean air, unpolluted water and rich soils inviting the production of 100 varieties of specialty cheeses, as well as other dairy products, mouth-watering rock lobsters, oysters, scallops and abalone, Atlantic salmon, beef, premium beers, leatherwood honey, mineral waters, fine chocolates, fresh berry fruits, apples and crisp vegetables.

Economy

Tasmania is a producer of award-winning cool-climate wines, beers, ciders and whiskies. Other export products include essential oils such as lavender, pharmaceutical products and premium wool sought after in Europe and Asia. Hobart is a vital gateway to the Antarctic and a centre for Southern Ocean and polar research.

Economy

The industries in Tasmania which made the greatest contribution to the State’s gross product in 2010–11 in volume terms were: Manufacturing (9.4%), Health care and social assistance (8.2%), Financial and insurance services (7.2%), Ownership of dwellings and Agriculture, forestry and fishing (each 7.1%).

Getting to Tasmania

Travel is easy, whether by air from Sydney or Melbourne, or by sea, with daily sailings of the twin ferries Spirit of Tasmania 1 and 2 each way between Melbourne and Devonport throughout the year.